Apple Bus
Apple Bus (First Student, Inc.) is the largest North American student transportation provider, operating 48,000+ vehicles across 530+ U.S. and Canadian locations to deliver home-to-school, special needs, and charter transportation services to K-12 school districts under multi-year contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Apple Bus does
Apple Bus operates as First Student, Inc., the largest student transportation provider in North America, founded in 1970 and headquartered at 191 Rosa Parks Street, 8th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio. The company runs a fleet of more than 48,000 vehicles, including electric buses, across 530+ locations in the United States and Canada, employing approximately 66,400 people and completing over 800 million student journeys annually (4.8 million per day). Its service portfolio covers home-to-school routes, special needs transportation, alternative transportation, charter bus and van rental, and consulting services, primarily sold to K-12 school districts through a competitive RFP process under long-term contracts.
The company's underlying technology stack centers on HALO™, a proprietary platform that integrates fleet safety oversight, real-time visibility, and parent communication. Adjacent modules include First View® (a consumer-facing vehicle tracker app powered by HALO), First Charge™ (above-ground charging infrastructure for electric buses), and First Serves® (a student-support driver training program). The platform-plus-modules architecture positions HALO as the foundational layer, with First View providing parent and district visibility, First Charge enabling fleet electrification, and First Serves reinforcing driver quality.
First Student monetizes primarily through contract-based, recurring subscription revenue from school district clients, with pricing negotiated via RFPs on annual or multi-year terms. Secondary, non-recurring revenue comes from charter bus and van rentals booked through a separate consumer portal (firstcharterbus.com). Marketing and distribution are predominantly enterprise field sales aimed at district superintendents and school boards, supplemented by industry publication coverage, sustainability/ESG reporting, and RFP submission infrastructure. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent entity in the available data.
Apple Bus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apple Bus
- Legal name
- First Student, Inc.
- Website
- https://applebuscompany.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Apple Bus (First Student, Inc.) is the largest North American student transportation provider, operating 48,000+ vehicles across 530+ U.S. and Canadian locations to deliver home-to-school, special needs, and charter transportation services to K-12 school districts under multi-year contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apple Bus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Transportation Services
- NAICS
- School and Employee Bus Transportation (48541), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Charter Bus Industry (48551)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics) (EDAEADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electrification & Alternative Fuels for School Fleets (EV Buses, Charging, CNG) (EDAEADAJ), Special Needs Student Transportation (Door-to-Door & Route Services) (EDAKAOAA)
Keywords
Where Apple Bus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Apple Bus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Student Transportation Services: Contract-based student transportation services to school districts including home-to-school routes, special needs transportation, and alternative transportation. Revenue is generated through long-term contracts with school districts, typically quoted and negotiated per service offering.
- Charter Bus & Van Rental: After school, field trips, and event transportation services available through firstcharterbus.com with quote-based pricing
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full-service student transportation contracts |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Charter Bus & Van Rental |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Apple Bus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apple Bus provides K-12 student transportation services including daily home-to-school bus routes, door-to-door special needs transportation, alternative student transportation supplementing district services, charter bus rentals for groups, and electric school bus solutions for districts transitioning fleets. The service is supported by the proprietary HALO™ operations technology platform with First View® real-time tracking for parents and districts, and First Charge™ electric vehicle charging management.
Product overview
Apple Bus (First Student) operates as a student transportation provider offering a unified platform of technology-enabled services. The core offering includes HALO, a proprietary technology platform, augmented by First View (vehicle tracking), First Charge (charging infrastructure), and First Serves (student support training). The service portfolio spans full-service home-to-school routes, special needs transportation, alternative transportation, charter rentals, and electric bus solutions. The platform-plus-modules architecture centers on HALO as the foundational technology layer, with First View providing parent-facing visibility, First Charge enabling fleet electrification, and First Serves delivering driver training capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HALO™: Proprietary technology platform that surrounds students with care through technological tools overseeing the transportation journey.
- First View®
- First Charge™
- First Serves®
Products and services
- Home-to-School Bus Transportation
Quantifiable outcome
- Winner of National Safety Council's Green Cross for safety excellence
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Apple Bus
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Apple Bus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Apple Bus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Apple Bus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Apple Bus social profiles
Digital presenceApple Bus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apple Bus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Apple Bus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apple Bus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apple Bus
What does Apple Bus do?
Apple Bus provides K-12 student transportation services including daily home-to-school bus routes, door-to-door special needs transportation, alternative student transportation supplementing district services, charter bus rentals for groups, and electric school bus solutions for districts transitioning fleets. The service is supported by the proprietary HALO™ operations technology platform with First View® real-time tracking for parents and districts, and First Charge™ electric vehicle charging management.
Is Apple Bus a public or private company?
Apple Bus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Apple Bus founded?
Apple Bus was founded in 1970. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Apple Bus based?
Apple Bus is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Apple Bus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Student Transportation Services are the primary driver. The others are charter Bus & Van Rental.
Does Apple Bus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Apple Bus.
What industry is Apple Bus in?
Apple Bus's product category is Student Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEADAA, School Bus Transportation Operations (Home-to-School, Field Trips, Athletics), with a secondary code of EDAEADAJ, Electrification & Alternative Fuels for School Fleets (EV Buses, Charging, CNG). Its NAICS code is 48541 and its SIC code is 4100.